Dominican leader lists gains in 100 days, wants patience

Santo Domingo.- While recognizing that citizens, especially the young, have every reason to distrust the political class, president Danilo Medina last night requested "a little patience" to win their trust with actions.

In a televised speech to mark his Administration’s first 100 days, the president said few governments have been able to show, in just over three months, as many kept promises as those listed in his address.

He urged Dominicans not to doubt his willingness to lead the country forward, with firmness, fairness and justice, despite the many shortcomings.

"Just like you, as a father and mother can’t always do what you want for your family, with the urgency it needs, the government also needs time and support to do what it proposes and all that popular aspirations and needs," he said.

Medina asked to look ahead with hope and without vengeance, and made a call not to waste time throwing rocks at the past and transform "those stones into bricks, to build, with them, a great future for our people."

Transparency and austerity

Medina said he has sought change with measures that confirm a commitment to moral government, without abuse and without privileges, for which he was the first of all government officials to sign the Code of Ethics and demanded that his cabinet entire so do.

"Every official knows that if they don’t comply with what’s written there, ‘they’ll be summarily dismissed and answer for their actions in the courts," Medina said, adding that, "for example I’ve just halted the use of government credit cards for private affairs, the purchase of luxury vehicles and the throwing of parties."

He noted that decree 247-12 cut the number of deputy ministers to six and did away with various agencies.

Main enforceable

The President stressed the launch of the program to rid the country of illiteracy in the next two years and the Solidarity program to pull more than 800,000 families out of poverty.

He also stressed the RD$6.1 billion available to small businesses through the State-owned Reservas bank and the newly established Development Bank, which has disbursed more than RD$400 million in loans, making 4,500 people creditworthy for the first time.